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Dozens of KFC, Burger King and Starbucks outlets are to reopen at motorway service areas across the country.
Welcome Break announced that 40 food and beverage units will resume operations across its 26 UK sites by June 4.
For Derby, the closest Welcome Break is on the A50 Westbound which has a Starbucks takeaway outlet, but no KFC or Burger King.
After that the closest Welcome Breaks are Leicester Forest East Southbound, on the M1 and Three Mile Lane on the M6 near Keele.
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At the Leicester service station, the Starbucks will be open from 6.30am to 3pm on most days, but the KFC and Burger King remain closed.
The service station in Keele does not have a Starbucks outlet and the fast food restaurants Burger King and KFC will remain closed.
Thirty-two of Welcome Break's outlets have already reopened in recent days with a further eight openings expected.
Motorway service areas have remained open during the pandemic with limited facilities to support essential travel.
Welcome Break said it has enhanced its hygiene and cleaning processes, and reconfigured the layout of its sites to enable social distancing.
Chief executive John Diviney said: “As the lockdown slowly eases and people around the UK gradually return to work, we are delighted to be opening up these great brands.
“It will provide a much-needed boost to those on the road and to support Britain working again.
“We very much look forward to welcoming back our returning customers.
“The health and safety of our colleagues and customers remains our absolute priority and we will continue to be guided by advice from Public Health England at all times.”
The news comes as Starbucks announced that it will be reopening more of its stores to the public today.


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Let’s face it, the PS5 restocking situation for the past four months has been nothing short of a disaster, and it looks like the situation is only going to get worse.
For those unaware, there is currently a global semiconductor shortage that is holding up electronics manufacturing, and this chip shortage is reaching crisis point.
“There is a perfect storm of supply and demand factors here. But basically there is a new level of demand that cannot be met, the whole world is in crisis and it is getting worse, “says technology analyst Neil Campling (via The Guardian).
The fact of the matter is that the shortage extends far beyond the gaming world. It is affecting the manufacture of a wide range of products, including televisions, telephones, and even vehicles. With so many sectors competing for a limited supply of chips, significant pressure is being put on supply lines.
We have already seen Samsung effectively cancel the Galaxy Note 21 this year due to a shortage of chips, which really shows the magnitude of the problem. Companies around the world are forced to readjust their launch schedules and sales expectations in light of this increasingly dire situation.
Sony said last month that it might fall short of its 2021 sales target, not because of a lack of demand but because of a lack of supply. Similarly, Microsoft’s Phil Spencer previously suggested that Xbox Series X stock problems would continue into the second half of the year.
Don’t hold your breath for the chip shortage to be resolved soon. According to Campling, “there are no signs that supply is recovering or that demand is declining, while prices are increasing throughout the chain.”
Campling also makes the grim prediction that this rising cost will soon be passed on to the consumer, and tech products like the iPhone 13 are likely to receive a price increase to offset the financial burden of acquiring semiconductors.
We certainly wouldn’t expect Sony or Microsoft to retroactively increase the cost of the PS5 and Xbox Series X, but if you expect to see sales or discounts on any of the next-gen machines this year, prepare for disappointment.
While supply lines are clearly restricted and it looks like they will be for some time to come, we’re still doing our best to make buying a PS5 as straightforward as possible. We have a variety of tips for each retailer, as well as a dedicated place to buy a PS5 hub to track the latest information as we get it.

domain: news


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The Argos store that has stood on East Street in Bedminster for decades has suddenly disappeared - and a new building will soon replace it.
A five-storey building of 50 flats will occupy the large space at the top end of East Street, with new stores fronting South Bristol’s main shopping street.
The plans were quietly given permission by city council planners last March - without even going to a public committee - and the demolition crews that have been working on taking apart the large former Argos warehouse behind the store reached the front this month.
This weekend, the frontage had been completely removed, leaving a pile of rubble where once a great British high street stalwart once was.
Argos was bought by Sainsbury’s in 2017, and by September 2018, the supermarket giant had moved the Bedminster store to a section within its store in Winterstoke Road in Ashton Gate.
In late 2018, local developer Firmstone - which owns the St Catherine’s Place shopping centre opposite and have planning permission for a major development there as part of the Bedminster Green regeneration project - took on the store and submitted a planning application.
In March last year, the firm won permission to build 50 flats on the site, with a series of ‘flexible’ shopping and business units fronting East Street itself. Work on that building is expected to start in the next few weeks, after the remnants of the old Argos store is cleared away.
The flats are proposed as a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments. A total of 22 will be one-bed, and 28 will be two-bed, and within that, some will be for one person, two people, three people and even apartments designed for four people to share in two beds, the developer told council planners.
Firmstone, which set up a company specifically for this development, will have to pay a total of just over £302,000 as part of the Community Infrastructure Levy scheme, which goes into a local pot for the council to spend on community projects in and around Bedminster and Southville.
The developers also told planners that the project would not be economically viable if they had to meet the council’s policy of having 30 per cent of the flats classed as ‘affordable’, for local people - which should have meant 15 of the flats were either sold to the council as council flats, a housing association for affordable rent, or sold as a shared ownership scheme.
But Firmstone did say they were open to negotiations back in 2018, and offered four of the flats for affordable housing.
But no housing association came forward to take on such a small number, and even Bristol City Council’s own housing team initially said they would, but in the end decided not to, and instead opted for the developer to pay £175,000 towards the provision of social housing in other development projects elsewhere in the city.
Firmstone’s plans for St Catherine’s Place shopping centre have already seen the former DSS office building converted into flats. The plans for the site next door and the shopping centre itself have been given approval by the council already and will see a 13-storey building constructed with a total of 180 flats involved across the site - none of which will be classed as affordable either.
That makes a total of 230 flats being built by Firmstone on either side of East Street with no affordable housing provision on site.
When the proposal secured planning permission in March last year, the developer's director Francis Firmstone said: "The combined impact of the redevelopment of the former Argos store and St Catherine's Place will make a major contribution to the revival of the East Street area and inject significant investment into this part of Bedminster.
"It has taken some time but now we've been given the go-ahead, we're keen to get moving on delivering our plans. We've been developing homes and shops in Bedminster for over 15 years, are very committed to the area and are looking forward to playing our role in creating the next chapter in its regeneration,” he added.
Follow the latest updates on this story and others like it here


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In a bid to better leverage its millions of customers, retail giant Walmart Inc. created a fintech startup to win more of their spending.
The company has formed a partnership with Ribbit Capital, an investor in stock-trading platform Robinhood, to start a venture that “will bring together Walmart’s retail knowledge and scale with Ribbit’s fintech expertise to deliver tech-driven financial experiences tailored to Walmart’s customers and associates,” according to a statement
Financial technology, or fintech, companies aim to give consumers ways to save, borrow and invest online or via phone without dealing with a traditional bank. Walmart will own a majority of the new venture, but didn’t provide more specific details. The company’s shares gained after the close of regular trading. Meanwhile, a blank-check company set up by Ribbit, surged.
Walmart’s head-to-head competition with Amazon.com Inc. means it is increasingly growing beyond retail. The company is trying to reinvent itself, including launching its own low-cost health clinics and getting into the insurance business. On the tech front, it emerged in late 2020 as a potential bidder for TikTok’s U.S. business after earlier in the year selling its Vudu streaming platform to Comcast Corp.’s Fandango.
The goal of Walmart may be to build an infrastructure like Alibaba has in Asia, where it’s both an online retailer and a major financial services provider — all in the same platform.
Looking for information about how COVID-19 has impacted the payments industry?
The Strawhecker Group (TSG) and Visa Consulting & Analytics (VCA) teamed up to survey a representative sample of U.S. consumers, and analyzed Visa’s proprietary spend data, with the goal of understanding how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted consumer lifestyles, payments trends, and how behaviors may change after the pandemic.


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The U.S. will likely emerge the winner in a "cold currency war" that is heating up, an expert said.Currenciesread more
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company@ (Adds Ive comments, background, shares)
June 27 (Reuters) - Apple Inc said on Thursday its Chief Design Officer Jony Ive will leave the iPhone maker later this year to form an independent design company, after spending nearly three decades with the technology company.
Ives said his new company will be called "LoveFrom", according to a Financial Times report, adding "it succinctly speaks to why I do what I do". (https://on.ft.com/2XajOXO)
Apple's shares fell 1.5% to $197.44 in after-market trading.
Ive worked closely with former Apple Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs and is credited with making iconic designs that helped Apple rebound under Jobs.
Ive led Apple's design teams since 1996 and was behind many of the company's designs, from early iMacs that came in translucent jelly-bean colors to the first iPhone. He took up his current role as chief design officer in 2015.
"Jony is a singular figure in the design world and his role in Apple's revival cannot be overstated, from 1998's groundbreaking iMac to the iPhone and the unprecedented ambition of Apple Park, where recently he has been putting so much of his energy and care," Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said.
Apple said it will be among the primary clients of Ive's new design company for a range of projects.
"I have the utmost confidence in my designer colleagues at Apple, who remain my closest friends, and I look forward to working with them for many years to come," Ive said. (Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)


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Canonical has partnered with AMD, HP and Ebuyer.com to launch three Ubuntu laptops designed for business buyers.
The £200 HP Probook 255, £250 Probook 355 and £300 ProBook 455 will be made available for pre-order on Ebuyer.com at the end of May.
All three laptops will include 15.6in LED touch screen displays, 1TB hard drives, quad-core AMD APUs with RadeonTM graphics, and Ubuntu 14.04 LTS pre-installed.
The Probook 455 will feature 8GB of RAM, while the 255 and 355 will house a more modest 4GB.
Canoncial released Ubuntu 14.04 LTS in April 2014 describing it as a cost-effective and secure replacement for Microsoft's unsupported Windows XP operating system.
The laptops are the latest step in Canonical's bid to the break the Linux-based OS out of the server room and into the office.
Maria Bonnefon, global client sales director at Canonical, explained that the AMD and Ebuyer.com partnership is a key step in the firm's enterprise growth plans.
"We are extremely pleased to be launching Ubuntu on AMD-based HP devices with Ebuyer.com here in the UK," she said.
"Ebuyer.com has proved itself to be a stalwart in the UK electronics retail space and we are excited to be aligning with them on offering the Ubuntu desktop OS to local customers. We are thrilled by the growing success of this partnership and what lies ahead."
AMD commercial channel lead James Blackman agreed, but said that he expects the laptops to also perform well in the small business market.
"By combining HP notebook platforms with AMD multicore APUs and Ubuntu OS, Ebuyer.com is bringing to market an offering for small to mid-sized firms and small office/home offices that is competitively priced," he said.
Ebuyer.com general manager Lee Weymouth added that the firm chose to partner with Canonical following the success of a previous trial selling an Ubuntu laptop.
"We trialled and sold Ubuntu preloaded on one device last year with huge success, which precipitated our desire to expand our efforts and offer customers a wider range of Ubuntu preloaded devices. We are excited to be expanding our partnership with Canonical," he said.
The news follows reports that many companies are still running unsupported Windows XP machines.
Reports broke that the government has not renewed its £5.5m Windows XP support deal with Microsoft, despite thousands of computers across Whitehall still running the unprotected software.
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The House Revenue & Finance Committee today signed off on Delaware’s proposed legislation to legalize marijuana for adult use, ages 21 and over. As with recently approved legislation in Illinois, the bill also contains a clause to expunge criminal records for prior convictions for simple possession.
If approved, the Delaware plan would see a gradual rollout of legalized marijuana. There would be an initial 15 licensed retail outlets as well as limits on cultivation and manufacturing. After three years, there would be a review to consider additional retail licensing. The legislation contains no provision for the home cultivation of cannabis.
Existing medical cannabis dispensaries would receive preferential consideration in the licensing process. The bill also contains provisions to promote other “social equity” objectives.
An article covering the announcement reported the support of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership. Written testimony submitted to the Delaware House Committee included a submission from the former chief of staff to then-Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper (D). Douglas Friednash stated:
“Most of our elected officials and community leaders were convinced it would lead to increased teen marijuana use, destroy our economy, and hamper the tourism industry, and I shared some of their concerns. I’ve now had six-and-a-half years to see the effects firsthand. And, I can can tell you none of this has come true, and my opinion has changed.
I urge Delaware, and other states, to follow the lead of Colorado and nine other states and replace cannabis prohibition with thoughtful regulation.”
The message here for investors is that what is spreading across the United States (and is already a reality in Canada) is more than just marijuana legalization. This is cannabis normalization.
Correcting a mistake (cannabis Prohibition). Opening up enormous new commercial opportunities for cannabis companies and their shareholders.


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SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Coverity, the development testing leader, today announced it ranked 351 on Deloitte's Technology Fast 500™ for its 232 percent growth in revenue. The Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ is a ranking of the 500 fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and clean technology companies in North America.
Anthony Bettencourt, Chief Executive Officer of Coverity, credits the company's revenue growth to its efforts in defining the development testing category and bringing the brand and revenue impact of software problems to the forefront of the business conversation. Bettencourt stated, "We are honored to be ranked in the Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ for the fifth consecutive year. Our continued success can be attributed to our market leadership and technology innovation in the emerging development testing category."
"Coverity, like all 2011 Technology Fast 500™ companies, have excelled in fostering innovation and channeling it into spectacular growth – against the backdrop of one of the most challenging economies in history," said Eric Openshaw, vice chairman and U.S. technology, media and telecommunications leader, Deloitte LLP. "Deloitte recognizes Coverity for its remarkable accomplishment."
"We are pleased to honor Coverity as a 2011 Technology Fast 500™ company," said Mark Jensen, managing partner, technology and venture capital services, Deloitte & Touche LLP. "As one of the fastest growing tech companies in North America, Coverity has demonstrated excellence in technological innovation, entrepreneurship and rapid growth."
About Deloitte's 2011 Technology Fast 500™
Technology Fast 500™, which was conducted by Deloitte & Touche LLP, a subsidiary of Deloitte LLP, provides a ranking of the fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and clean technology companies – both public and private – in North America. Technology Fast 500™ award winners are selected based on percentage fiscal year revenue growth from 2006 to 2010.
In order to be eligible for Technology Fast 500™ recognition, companies must own proprietary intellectual property or technology that is sold to customers in products that contribute to a majority of the company's operating revenues. Companies must have a base-year operating revenue of at least $50,000 USD or CD, and current-year operating revenues of at least $5 million USD or CD. Additionally, companies must be in business for a minimum of 5 years, and be headquartered within North America.
Coverity, Inc. (www.coverity.com), the development testing leader, is the trusted standard for companies that need to protect their brands and bottom lines from software failures. More than 1,100 Coverity customers use Coverity's development testing suite of products to automatically test source code for software defects that could lead to product crashes, unexpected behavior, security breaches, or catastrophic failure. Coverity is a privately held company headquartered in San Francisco. Coverity is funded by Foundation Capital and Benchmark Capital. Follow us on Twitter or check out our blog.


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Cyber is part of our everyday lives. Still, in many cases, a natural - or perhaps an unnatural - divide exists between the virtual and physical worlds. This is especially true in the way we deal with crime.
More malware attacks fueled by Citadel and Reveton are getting attention from federal authorities, which say banking institutions and consumers should be on high alert. What can institutions do to mitigate emerging malware risks?
Jenny Durkan, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington, is taking a lead role in combatting cyberfraud. Under her leadership, federal prosecutors have upped their efforts to combat ever-increasing threats posed by digital crimes, including card fraud.
Heartland Payment Systems, which suffered a massive breach in 2009, is working to enhance POS security at the merchant level. What steps is this processor taking, and what role would it like to see card-issuing banks play?


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EMC Thought Leaders share their views on how I.T. transforms and protects businesses
IoT (Internet of things) is the new buzzword and everyone is talking about it, from connected vending machines, parking meters, fridges, cars…you get the picture. According to Gartner by the year 2020 there will 250 billion IoT devices globally.
Remember these are not computers. It is inevitable that many of these will leave vulnerabilities, which criminals can access. Whilst the recent example of a fridge sending out spam can be considered relatively harmless imagine the danger if criminals get access to pacemakers or insulin pumps for diabetics. According to recent news reports former US Vice President Dick Cheney revealed he had turned off his pacemaker’s wireless function while in office for fear that criminals could threaten to tamper with his pacemaker to extort money or worse.
In addition, exploiting the vulnerabilities of IoT and hand recognition software could be used to lock people out of homes or cars. One can only hope that while cyber security is so high on the agenda for everyone, that companies manufacturing these devices have taken the appropriate steps to consider their vulnerabilities and built in controls both now and for the future to protect these devices. Organisations today spend billions of pounds trying to protect their IT infrastructure, which is a constant battle and still leads to compromise. So what hope do we have for these relatively simple devices that can result in devastating attacks. Will consumers who have these devices be expected to patch their own pacemakers or cars?
The real dangers of IoT will be when a murder is committed by an insulin pump or a heart attack induced by a pacemaker. Criminals will stand to start a complete new economy for hacking these devices and getting rich by blackmailing their victims.
Question is when is the first murder?
Image courtesy of dream firstname.lastname@example.org


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Apple‘s (NASDAQ:AAPL) streaming service, Apple TV+ will debut this November, taking on the likes of Netflix and Disney’s upcoming Disney+ offering. The service will be priced at $5 per month and Apple indicated that a year of free service would come bundled with most Apple devices. Apple has signed up big names from the entertainment industry including Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg to create original programming. Below, we take a look at how the foray compares with key rivals in the streaming space.
View our interactive dashboard analysis Will The $5 Price Point For Apple TV+ Change The Game?
Aggressive Pricing Indicates That Apple Wants To Complement Existing Players, Not Replace Them
- Apple’s move to price the service aggressively at $5 per month, compared to $13 per month for Netflix and $7 for Disney+, indicates that it wants customers to view the service as complementary to existing players such as Netflix, rather than being an alternative.
- This is probably the right strategy, given that the streaming race is unlikely to be a zero-sum game. Streaming subscriptions typically cost just a few dollars a month versus pay TV packages which average ~$100/month, meaning that cord-cutters could opt for multiple offerings.
- The pace of cord-cutting is accelerating, with the number of pay TV subscriptions in the U.S. declining from 94.4 million in 2014 to 89 million in 2018, while broadband penetration is picking up.
Apple Is Banking On Its Ecosystem To Drive Adoption
Subscriber Base Could Be As Large As Netflix Over First Free Year
- Apple is leaning on its device ecosystem to build early traction, providing a complimentary year of Apple TV+ family subscriptions with every new iPhone, Macbook, and iPad.
- As we project that Apple will sell over 170 million iPhones in FY’20, along with tens of millions of iPads and Macs, it’s possible that Apple TV+’s subscriber base will be roughly as large or larger than Netflix (160 million+ global users presently) over the first free year.
- This could allow Apple to give a large base of high-value customers a taste of its service and content, eventually converting them into paying users.
Apple’s Installed Base Of 1.4 Billion Devices And Large Base Of Services Users Could Help Apple TV+
- Apple has an installed base of over 1.4 billion devices and its users already spend a significant amount on its services.
- We believe it is possible that Apple could eventually bundle the TV+ service with other offerings such as Apple Music and its upcoming gaming service into a single package.
Success Will Ultimately Depend On Delivering Compelling Content
- While the streaming market offers scope for growth, the quality of Apple’s content will ultimately decide the uptake of Apple TV+, and the company’s previous attempts at content have been underwhelming. Its Carpool Karaoke and Planet of the Apps shows were both poorly received.
- Apple TV+ will debut with 9 original titles, featuring big Hollywood names and the company has indicated that it would be adding more original content every month.
- In comparison, Netflix has a growing catalog of thousands of movies and original shows while Disney+ will potentially have a massive catalog of legacy content that it can bank as it works on new shows.
- Although Apple has reportedly earmarked $6 billion toward content, per the Financial Times, this will be well below Netflix and Disney.
- We believe it is possible that Apple could eventually acquire established media companies such as Lions Gate or CBS-Viacom to bolster its content.
What’s behind Trefis? See How It’s Powering New Collaboration and What-Ifs For CFOs and Finance Teams| Product, R&D, and Marketing Teams More Trefis Data Like our charts? Explore example interactive dashboards and create your own


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Analysts, publishers and game developers have made some interesting predictions and have given some logical thoughts on the gaming trends that we will be seeing in 2016 and in the future on where the games industry as a whole is heading. Not in game design terms, but more in the context of the business as a whole and how gaming will be seen.
At the moment video gaming is at an all-time high with eSports taking the trend to unbelievable heights. Predictions for 2016 is that eSports will generate a revenue of more than $460 million and up to $20 billion will be generated in the next five years just from eSports betting. Online casino gaming has had a big boom too in the last decade, and has been steadily going on for some time, especially in Australia, where updated online pokies list for 2016 are constantly looked for on Google. This is very closely tied to mobile gaming.
At the moment we are seeing the first generation of parents who grew up playing video games, which is no wonder why their kids have inherited the same passion for gaming. For example, about 75% of parents in the UK play video games with their kids. An even more interesting fact is that many of these kids take game recommendations from their parents. What’s even funnier is that professional eSports gamers are becoming parents, so you can imagine what their kids will want to do. As more millennials become parents, these figures might very well increase.
In 2016 Deloitte Global predicts that mobile devices (tablets and smartphones) will be the leading gaming platforms. It’s estimated that the mobile gaming revenue will rise to $35 billion in 2016, which is a 20% rise compared to 2015. This will make mobile gaming more profitable than PC and console gaming, whose revenue experts predict will rise only five and six percent respectively compared to 2015. Last year PC games generated a revenue of $32 billion, while console games generated a revenue of $28 billion.
Many other experts have been agreeing too in the past years that the future of gaming are mobiles. They are right nevertheless because the most diverse playing audience passes time by playing games on mobiles. What’s even more stunning is that 55% of mobile gamers in North America are female. As a result 60% of home video console gamers are male while more than 64% PC gamers are male too. Bold predictions were made for virtual reality games in 2016, but so far nothing spectacular has happened. It’s supposed to become a niche market this year.
The most exciting prediction that we will have a chance to witness is whether the number of eSports viewers will surpass the number of viewers that watch traditional sports like NBA, NFL and even the World Cup in soccer. The current statistical data and numbers have shown encouraging results, and by the end of 2016 we will be able to see the outcome of that prediction.


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Avery Dennison Corp. has added two new label materials to its wine and spirits portfolio, the company announced Tuesday.
The Glendale label and adhesive manufacturer company’s new labels are designed to offer winemakers and converters a wider range of sustainable materials to address the buying behaviors of customers.
The new labels include Grape Touch and Estate Label No. 14. Grape Touch provides a closed loop solution with strong shelf appeal and its made up of 15 percent grape waste. Estate Label No. 14 is 100 percent post-consumer-waste paper material that preserves strength, and color.
“While these new products are engineered for sustainability, they’re also designed to deliver the performance and shelf appeal that moves bottles from store shelves to shopping carts,” Frank Loncar, marketing director for Avery Dennison, said in a statement.
Shares of Avery Dennison (AVY) closed Tuesday down 97 cents or nearly 1 percent to $119.76 on the Nasdaq.


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Investing.com - Apple led tech lower Friday after Morgan Stanley jumped on the bandwagon of Apple price cuts on fears over a slowing smartphone market in China.
Morgan Stanley cut its price target on Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) to $236 from $253, citing supply-chain conversations in Asia that revealed a weaker backdrop for smartphone demand. That was the third Apple price cut this week following cuts by both Rosenblatt and HSBC, sending Apple's share price more than 2% lower.
Rising average selling prices and better smartphone quality are leading people to keep their current devices for longer, lengthening replacement cycles, which hurt smartphone makers like Apple, Morgan Stanley said.
The Wall Street bank did, however, provide a semblance of optimism as it said wearables and services revenues could help limit the damage somewhat from the weaker iPhone demand.
In a further sign that Apple's newest batch of iPhones are not selling as well as many had hoped, Broadcom's CEO Hock Tan said strong performance in the company's wireless divisions was driven by demand for older smartphones from a North American customer.
While Tan didn’t mention Apple by name, the iPhone maker is Broadcom’s largest North American partner, suggesting Apple has seen strong sales of older iPhone models, according to Bloomberg.
Chipmaker Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO) reported above-forecast fiscal fourth-quarter earnings, but it struggled to hold gains amid a marketwide rout. Its share rose 0.95% to $229.40, down from a session high of $238.28.


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State officials say they've taken 750 complaints about smoking violations since the law went into effect July 1.
Most of those complaints, nearly 575, involve violations at restaurants.
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation says it's sending out law enforcement agents to investigate every complaint.
The American Lung Association says it has reports of some businesses trying to skirt the law, but a state spokesman believes most businesses are trying to cooperate.
Jack Tuter is with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
He thinks some business owners are just ignorant as to what the law is.
So far, no smokers or businesses have been ticketed or fined.


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Flipkart has acquired a 100% interest in Walmart India, which operates the Best Price cash-and-carry business to strengthen capabilities and business-to-business service offering. With the acquisition, Walmart India’s employees will join the Flipkart Group, and the home office teams will integrate over the next year.
In addition, Flipkart Group has also announced the launch of Flipkart Wholesale, a new digital marketplace that will help transform the kirana retail ecosystem in India. Adarsh Menon, Senior Vice President and Head of Flipkart Wholesale said that the firm will leverage the synergies between the two group by staying focused on transforming the wholesale experience for kiranas and MSMEs
The Best Price brand will continue to serve its over 1.5 million members via its omnichannel network of 28 stores and e-commerce operations, said a press release by Flipkart. The company also operates 2 fulfilment centres in India – Lucknow and Hyderabad.
According to a Flipkart employee, present at the town hall meeting, the wholesale business will launch with a separate app focused on Kirana customers in August to be headed by Menon. The firm will initially pilot services for the grocery and fashion categories.
Sameer Aggarwal, Chief Executive Officer at Walmart India, will remain with the company to ensure a smooth transition, after which time he will move to another role within Walmart.
The acquisition of Walmart India business will strengthen Flipkart’s positioning in B2B. The Bengaluru-based company has been testing B2B waters for the past 6-8 months with a pilot in Delhi NCR region. It will also open a new front for Flipkart where the form would compete with Metro, Reliance Market including Tencent-backed Udaan and Amazon, among others.
The emphasis on kirana in Flipkart’s press release hints that it’s in urgency to woo small retailers who have been adopting Jio Mart’s platform at a quick pace. The Mukesh Ambani-led firm already crossed 2.5 lakh orders a day, and it would soon pass the largest e-grocer BigBasket’s volume.
Despite Flipkart taking several attempts at the grocery, it wasn’t able to gain any grounds in the sector. This acquisition is likely to help Flipkart to plug into the grocery ecosystem holistically.
Last week, Flipkart Group had received a fund infusion of $1.2 billion led by Walmart, along with a group of existing shareholders. The investment values the company at $24.9 billion in post-money valuation.


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MIAMI, FL -- Tile of Spain, the international brand representing over 125 ceramic tile manufacturers belonging to the Spanish Ceramic Tile Manufacturers' Association (ASCER), has released the Cersaie '16 App. The App provides information about the Tile of Spain companies exhibiting at Cersaie 2016, being held from September 26 to 30 in Bologna, Italy.
This year, 94 ceramic tile companies and ancillary industries will attend the 33rd edition of Cersaie. Once again, the group of Spanish ceramic companies is the largest foreign delegation at the show, strengthening the position of Spanish ceramics in international markets and reaffirms the effort to expand the brand Tile of Spain abroad. For highlights of the Tile of Spain companies at Cersaie, visit the Inspiration Gallery on the Tile of Spain website.
The free Cersaie '16 App, which is available for iOS and Android devices, allows access to all Spanish ceramic tile companies at the event. Participants can search through exhibitors, filter by sector and add their favorite companies to a "must visit" list, which can be shared with colleagues via email.
The Tile of Spain Cersaie '16 App can be downloaded at http://cersaie16tileofspain.com, or by visiting the Google Play or App Store.


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EU Commission approves UK's Carphone, Dixons merger
LONDON, June 25
LONDON, June 25 (Reuters) - The European Commission has unconditionally approved the 3.8 billion pound ($6.4 billion) merger of Britain's Carphone Warehouse and Dixons Retail , Carphone Warehouse said on Wednesday.
Carphone, Europe's biggest independent mobile phone retailer, and Dixons, Europe's second-largest electrical retailer, announced their intention to merge on May 15.
"Earlier today, the European Commission confirmed that it has unconditionally cleared the merger," Carphone said in a statement.
The merger will create a group with turnover of about 12 billion pounds, 2,900 stores and 45,000 employees. ($1 = 0.5892 British Pounds) (Reporting by Karolin Schaps, editing by Louise Heavens)
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With the recent announcement that Microsoft is dropping their 24 hour check-in and block of used games on Xbox One, the Daily Reaction crew of Seb and Dan discuss what this means for the industry as we move forward.
An internet connection will not be required to play offline Xbox One games – After a one-time system set-up with a new Xbox One, you can play any disc based game without ever connecting online again. There is no 24 hour connection requirement and you can take your Xbox One anywhere you want and play your games, just like on Xbox 360.
Trade-in, lend, resell, gift, and rent disc based games just like you do today – There will be no limitations to using and sharing games, it will work just as it does today on Xbox 360.
In addition to buying a disc from a retailer, you can also download games from Xbox Live on day of release. If you choose to download your games, you will be able to play them offline just like you do today. Xbox One games will be playable on any Xbox One console — there will be no regional restrictions.
Honest, I don’t know what took Microsoft so long to recant all of the bad decisions they have been making over the last few months. The design concepts they implemented with their Xbox One became a noose around their throat, that only tightened the more they tried to talk about it. Now, Microsoft is trying to stop from choking on their own decisions by saying that “your feedback matters” – which could be true, as the recent figures coming off of Amazon’s poll show that only 5% of people voting were going to pick up the Xbox One, and 95% were looking at the PS4. Although, more than likely with all of the rumblings of GameStop taking issue against the XBO, I could see that being the biggest factor for MS to write this apology letter.
As MS have now decided to backpedal away from the DRM issue, they will have to spend a great deal of time fixing public perception as well as reteaching what the real facts are surrounding the now duly named “Xbox 180”. The belief that the Xbox blocks games and requires a check in will persist with some gamers well past launch of the console, as information is easy to get the out to the mainstream the first time, but they rarely keep up to date with the news. Similarly, early in the PS3’s lifecycle the system was trying to shake off the stigma that it had no games, a problem that many gamers believed to be true for years after launch, despite having many first-party exclusives.
Sadly, Xbox gamers who were pissed off that they will have to pay $100 more to have their Kinect always watching and listening to them will still have to deal with those issues, but at least now they can use their system. Microsoft really learned a lesson this generation – don’t be stupid.
Seb: Yeah, this is a huge decision and, finally, a smart one. Ideally, MS should never have gone down the DRM route in the first place, of course, but it’s good news that they finally came to their senses. They never talked to publishers about it – if they had, they would have realized EA and Ubisoft didn’t want to charge, rendering it pointless. They never talked to GameStop – if they had, they would have realized that the PS4 would be pushed far more. They never looked at their own stats – if they had, they would have realized that 30 million 360 owners don’t use XBL and so don’t connect to the internet with their console. They never talked to consumers – if they had, they would have realized that we’d go batshit crazy. And they never counted on Sony not following them – which made the PS4 the clear choice for many.
Finally they’ve listened, and this is a victory for the consumer, make no mistake about it.
But it still puts them in a very tricky situation. Much of their online plans centered around the check-in, with the ‘game sharing’ and special account features all requiring this 24hr-check in to exist. Hell, that was the whole point of the check in, they claimed. It future proofed the console and made it perfect, they claimed. In numerous interviews they said that the fact that all the consoles were connected was a ‘game changer’, that it meant developers could create ultimate online experiences unlike anything on “other platforms”. Now their entire XBL plans for the next 10 years are in disarray, they’ve got to start all over trying to work out what makes the console special, and they only have a few months left before launch. Oops.
It’s also worth pointing out that the One still requires a one-off internet connection at the start, so that’ll stop the really internet challenged players from getting it.
So what does this mean for the PS4 then? Of course that’s one big unique selling point taken away from Sony’s console, and that’ll mean that less people will have a reason to buy it. Crucially, retailers will also not completely favor it and push the product so that they can make more profits on used games.
This news will hurt the PS4’s sales, but the fact that the Xbox One DRM issue ever existed will count in their favor – consumer confusion is going to remain, Sony gets to look like the good guy and people still won’t trust Microsoft not to screw them later on. Plus, they’re not the ones having to rewrite their online plans overnight.
The playing field has been leveled considerably, and purchasing decisions will come down to loyalty, games and price. The console war is back on, folks.
But we should all agree that this is a good move for the industry. This is a wake up call to platform holders and publishers that think we’ll accept whatever they shove down our gullets with a smile on our face. And, if MS is now in the habit of listening to feedback – change the name, it’s stupid, no one likes it and it’s a lie because it’s not ‘all-in-one’, you need a cable box too. Oh, and let me disconnect my Kinect so I can game naked in peace.
What do you think of the news? Are you ready to pre-order an Xbox One now? Do you trust Microsoft after they recounted on their previous statements? Share your thoughts in the comments below, email 180 jokes to [email protected] and check in on our Twitters every 24hrs at Seb ‘n’ Dan.


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Ebola, the darkest fraud leader on the market, has been accused
With this server everything is sold on the contrary. Medicines, weapons, registered documents, stolen credit cards
A German sergeant was now working and he had not seen a black gentleman in the fire instead of a scared boy.
September 9 Internet researchers in Rhineland-Palatinate got the largest safe destruction facility in Germany
On the Darknet network. Andre P. (nicknamed Ebola) appeared in the local court and emphasized the president.
The 30 lies had more than 30,000 members and were first discovered by researchers in 2017 when they were found.
It is illegal or stolen. Since 2016 Nearly a hundred crimes were brought in by cars
Identity card, cheap money, medicines over 1 kg, medicines etc.
In addition to accounts, credit cards, Amazon Mazon and PayPal accounts are also products of online fraud.
The warranty service pays Bitcoin on demand.
Ebola is also known as Ebola P., as well as sales and advertising expenses. He said he had a real income. E.
The drug has been accused of 110 counts of possession of firearms and shotguns (3 weapons).
Defendant had been silent for seven days before the March hearing.


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With businesses already under pressure to keep their fleets optimised and to carefully control costs, tyres are one area that can be a huge headache for fleet managers - not only in terms of the safety of company car and van drivers, but also to the associated costs of vehicle downtime due to tyre damage.
A study Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has revealed 41% of van drivers who own dogs prefer to take them to work rather than leave them home alone or with a dogsitter. But a third admitted to not restraining them securely, which can lead to distractions.
Data from 2018 showed vans were involved in more accidents that resulted in fatal injuries to other road users, per mile travelled, than any other type of vehicle on the UK’s roads. Between 2013 and 2018, collisions involving vans were responsible for a 14% increase in the number of serious injuries to pedestrians, car occupants, and van occupants. Cyclist casualties also rose by 22%.
As the UK re-emerges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Licence Bureau is urging businesses to entrust their drivers to make the ‘right’ commercial decisions based on health and safety first and foremost, and forego the temptation to constantly check-up on them.
Nine out of 10 vans stopped by the DVSA at the roadside were overloaded I MET up with Mike Hawes, boss of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders at the CV Show today (14 April). While pleased with the increase in van sales over Q1 of 2015, he was concerned that van safety is being compromised. Not [...]
Van sales are on the up largely thanks to a spike in internet shopping A study of the tremendous boom in van sales this year has put the increase down to a steady rise in home shopping and deliveries. Online sales in the UK hit £103bn last year, according to the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index, creating a [...]
Unfortunately it is no surprise to see mobile phones topping the list as the number one driving distraction SMALLER business van fleets are putting safety on the back seat and not being proactive to protect themselves from potentially huge claims, according to a survey. Brake and Licence Bureau questioned 228 fleets about driver education and the topics they [...]
Businesses have a duty of care to ensure that they take every precaution to ensure their vehicles are safe HOW safe are your business vans? And do you understand your duty of care to ensure that your business vehicles are safe and fit for purpose? All at-work drivers and business van managers have a responsibility to make sure [...]
Vans are being driven harder on less maintenance. The FTA reckons there are 1 million unroadworthy vans on the road every day HALF of all 3.5-tonne vans on UK roads more than three years old are unroadworthy, according to a recent survey by the Freight Transport Association (FTA). The FTA study found the failure rate for the vans [...]
Euro NCAP has for the first time conducted crash tests on van derived people carriers. Ford's Transit Custom was the only vehicle to score the maximum 5 stars.
Author: ROBIN ROBERTS According to new research by the Road Safety Foundation, England’s decrepit motorway network is not safe enough to have the speed limit raised to 80mph, the aptly named Unfit for 80 report states. The report raises concerns over the rapidly rising risk of shunt crashes from the sheer volume of traffic using England’s motorways, [...]


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Posted On 24 May 2019
Windows 7 is on the way out, and the still-popular operating system is warning users that they will not be supported much longer. To be precise, support for Windows 7 will cease on January 14, 2020, and Microsoft has been encouraging users to upgrade to Windows 10.
You can’t be forced to make the switch, and the OS won’t suddenly stop working on your computer after support stops, but there will be no more security updates, so you will be vulnerable to any new threats that come along (and they will be coming along). You could ignore the warnings and carry on using Windows 7, but once the security support has stopped you shouldn’t risk connecting it to the Internet or indeed any other networked system.
Some might feel this is an unwarranted interference from Microsoft, but with some adherents still buying Windows 7 computers, and 37.19% of desktop PC users sticking with the system, the company was clearly tired of having to continually patch up an old option instead of focusing on their new systems. The links Microsoft is sending out to Windows 7 users explain how to upgrade to Windows 10 and even suggest that users might consider buying new computers, seeing as a Windows 7 computer will probably be far from state-of-the-art.
Windows 10 has improved massively since the October 2018 update, with many new features added and old bugbears removed, and the May 2019 update promises even more improvements, so it could be a good time for diehards to consider switching allegiance.


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Apple's recently launched M1 MacBooks are a big boost in terms of performance and battery life, but they're pretty much the same as the previous generation in terms of design and form factor.
According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, this will change next year. According to his latest report (via 9to5Mac), Apple will launch MacBooks with a new form factor, as well as a redesigned Apple Watch, in the second half of 2021.
Kuo shared no other details about the upcoming products. We can speculate that one of the MacBooks he's referring to could be the long-rumored 14-inch MacBook Pro.
Kuo also shared what he knows about the sales of Apple's current product lineup. He says the demand for the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max is bigger than expected, while the demand for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini is slightly weaker than predicted.
He also said there has been a strong demand for the Apple Watch Series 6 and SE, the new iPad Air, and the new M1 MacBooks. The only thing that's not selling well is AirPods, which may partially be due to the perceived delay of AirPods 3.
Apple's M1 MacBook Pro and MacBook Air have been received well by reviewers, who praised increased battery life and fast, silent performance. In earlier notes, Kuo said all of Apple's new Macs, scheduled to launch in 2021, will have the new chip.


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Alex Wilhelm is a San Francisco-based writer. You can find Alex on Twitter, and on Facebook. You can reach Alex via email at [email protected] Alex Wilhelm is a San Francisco-based writer. You can find Alex on Twitter, and on Facebook. You can reach Alex via email at [email protected]
Did you miss this post last week? I had my feet up on my desk, pretending that vacationing at home in the Chicago winter is glamorous (protip: it’s not). But I’m back, and that means our weekly roundup of Microsoft news is as well.
It’s been a rather varied week, with news coming in from a number of Microsoft product lines. As always, we’ll have to be summary, and gloss over a few topics. If you want the full scoop, dig through the archives. Be sure that you are following TNW Microsoft on Facebook, and Twitter, and let’s get into the news.
This week several important pieces of Windows Phone news leaked: Primarily, the Nokia Lumia 900 is likely to debut on AT&T this March 18th for a mere $99.99 with contract. The HTC Titan II is expected on the same day, but will cost twice as much, or $199.99.
The Lumia price is a game changer, we feel, as it is half the cost of a normal top-tier smartphone. People have been comparing the 900 to the iPhone 4S since is came out, but few have stacked it next to Apple’s handset with the thought in mind that it will cost one hundred dollars less. The economy being what it is, that alone might give the Nokia phone an edge in the market.
It’s our guess, however, that this low-priced Nokia Lumia 900 will ding its Windows Phone brethren, and Android, more than the iOS line of phones. Whatever the case, Nokia is playing hardball. What we want to know is if Microsoft is subsidizing the effort.
Kinect is coming to your PC. This has been known for some time. However, until recently, we were nearly sure that the first generation of Kinect for your computer would look like this:
Instead, news is out that the functionality may be far more integrated than we had presumed:
The Daily had the chance to take a look at two prototype devices from ASUS running Windows 8 that featured Kinect sensors along the top of screen, with a set of LEDs running along the bottom. The News Corp. publication didn’t share how the device could be used but says that a Microsoft source confirmed that the devices were official prototypes of laptops that featured a Kinect sensor.
Of course, with it Kinect brings voice control, so Microsoft may be the first firm to bring functional voice and motion control to normal, everyday computers. That would give it a fat edge over Apple, et al.
The next generation Xbox console is coming this year, as we have reported a number of times. News this week has painted the coming device as being some six times as powerful as the current Xbox 360. The media has dubbed the unit the ‘Xbox 720,’ and will likely keep the moniker in use until Microsoft brings out its real name. Of course, it could actually be named the Xbox 720, but hope springs eternal.
That information in hand, we asked if Microsoft might subsidize the console to keep its sales price at the same levels of the current Xbox 360:
Here’s the question: given the massive popularity of the Xbox LIVE subscription service, might Microsoft be able to offer the Xbox 720 at a steeply discounted rate, as with the Kinect, to at least a portion of the current Xbox 360 userbase? Microsoft could say, for example, that for every year you have paid for LIVE, you get a set amount off your 720 console. Or Microsoft could simply gamble that if it prices the Xbox 720 at current Xbox 360 prices, something that it might not be able to do even at a breakeven level, the consoles will eventually pay for themselves, and therefore it is better to even lose money up front, to ensure that it remains the dominant player in this section of the gaming market.
Amazon has been using its Prime subscription system to play with pricing for years now, and to what I would call great success. Microsoft could take a page from that book and tinker with the pricing of the Xbox 720, perhaps allowing it to consume more market share than its predecessor.
If that happens or not, the next Xbox is slowly peeking its head around the corner. We should know more in the near future. Oh, and Microsoft Points are dying, at last.
Windows revenue at Microsoft declined last quarter, causing us to wonder just what is up with the company’s most venerable of cash fountains. Could it be that the post-PC world is finally eating at the traditional computing market? Perhaps, but there is much more going on than the iPad; supply chains were disrupted in Asia, and the economy has remained soft.
Some have guessed that perhaps hype surrounding Windows 8 is harming short-term Windows 7 sales, but we don’t think so. Here’s our take:
I want to posit that I deeply doubt that Windows 8 is, for now, causing consumers to hold off on purchasing new machines. The operating system has yet to reach its beta, and Microsoft has not said when it will be released. What consumer is going to hold off for several quarters in hope? Only a very technologically savvy one, and we doubt that there are enough of those to push Windows revenue down by such a substantial chunk.
However, Windows 8 is the proverbial indoor elephant:
However, in all of this there is an obvious question: What happens when Windows 8 comes out, and Microsoft joins the post-PC movement? A Windows 8 tablet, employing an ARM chip and not running the normal Windows desktop (as has been rumored) is as post-PC as an iPad. This means that the most iconic PC OS could in fact make out well in the post-PC environment if it ends up being a competitive product. Therefore, Windows has to save itself from decline.
Finally, you won’t be able to use a custom image for your Windows 8 machine’s Start Screen. You try to figure that one out.
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Klein Collins High School orchestra to raise funds with garage sale
The Klein Collins High School orchestra will be raising funds through its annual garage sale from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20 at the Klein Instructional Center.
The sale site is at 4411 Louetta Road. All proceeds from the sale will benefit members of the orchestra. The rain date for the event is Saturday, Oct. 27.
Donations of unwanted items are needed for the sale. The group will accept any items, including large ones. Volunteers can even pick up items starting Monday, Oct. 1 and store them until the sale.
All other items can be brought to the school or arrangements can be made to drop off items at the school orchestra room after school.
Donations are tax deductible and receipts will be available.
For more information on the sale or to donate, email firstname.lastname@example.org.
Local Advertising by PaperG


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VocaLink is entering into a marketing and installation support partnership with BCSIS, the Asian payments solution vendor based in Singapore, to increase the geographical reach of its Immediate Payments platform.
The payments processing platform, which uses the same technology as UK’s Faster Payments Service (FPS), allows banks to give consumers and corporations the ability to transfer funds between bank accounts in near real time and to deliver new products and services based upon the growing mobile and online channels.
Under the partnership agreement BCSIS will promote, implement and support VocaLink’s Immediate Payments product in conjunction with VocaLink’s payments technology expertise. VocaLink operates the FPS in the UK, which eliminated the previous three-day clearing wait in the country after government intervened, and has taken this expertise forward with its Immediate Payments software solution, which is now seeking to deploy around the world.
BCSIS is experienced in the provision of clearing, payments and banking systems in the Asian region so is an ideal partner for VocaLink in the region. Similarly the move towards eliminating the two to three days it currently takes to transfer funds electronically in Singapore and in some other Asian countries mirrors the earlier move towards the FPS in the UK.
“We are delighted to announce this agreement with BCSIS,” said Marc Terry, VocaLink’s managing director of commercial services. “Our aim is to provide payments solutions that enable innovation in the financial services industry in Singapore and other territories in the region. We strongly believe this is best achieved through a collaborative approach, partnering with local experts such as BCSIS who have acknowledged skills and capabilities. We look forward to working with them to deliver these solutions.”
According to Ricky Lim, managing director at BCSIS: “Bulk payment and new electronic giro solutions will also be part of our offering to provide a full suite of high and low value payment systems. With our expertise in clearing and payment solutions, we see great synergy in this partnership with VocaLink for the creation of more innovative payment systems.”


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The commercial brings home a spectacular experience of Thakur skiing in majestic snow-covered mountains and taking on the world with her exceptional skiing skills. The commercial shows her pursuit of blazing new trails, seeing obstacles as opportunities that coincides with the brand's philosophy of 'Do what you can't'.
The campaign reflects how Samsung keeps pushing the boundaries and reaching new heights with its technology innovations.
The campaign has been conceptualised by Cheil India.
Mohandeep Singh, senior vice president, consumer electronics business, Samsung India said, "Thakur, being the first Indian skier to put India on the global map for winter sports, was the natural fit for us to showcase the determination and passion to lead. We take pride in being her preferred partner to present her prowess and her majestic world of skiing through Neo QLED 8K TV.”
Thakur said, “I am delighted to collaborate with Samsung for the launch of their cutting-edge new range of televisions – the Neo QLED 8K. As a young female athlete trying to make a mark in a nascent sport in India, the brand’s philosophy really resounds with me.”
“To be associated with a brand that recognises and promotes this quest for excellence as a Highlight of India makes me immensely proud,” she added.
Watch the video here:


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SOFTWARE AND TECHNOLOGY
Advanced Solutions | May 04, 2022
Advanced Solutions, creators of the AdvancedDock Yard and dock management platform and AdvancedBOL (Electronic Bill of Lading), announced the release and support for their new logistics Smart SealTM. The new product utilizes AdvancedDock to support the ability to seal and capture load and truck information digitally."Smart Seal™ allows our customers to improve the accuracy of data collection for truck and container shipments from shipper to final destination,
"Any of us who have had to record, read, rekey or verify seal numbers on a paper bill of lading will appreciate the simplicity of tapping a smart seal using our software and it being captured digitally within our eBOL and available immediately within the backend ERP. This is the simplest scenario, but we are already exploring new use cases with our trial customers."
-Managing Principal Phillip Avelar.
When launched, the patent pending Smart SealTM will be supported by their AdvancedBOL bill of lading software and AdvancedDock, the next generation yard and dock orchestration platform. Using the company's software, a driver or dock employee can digitally capture and record truck/shipment information by tapping their tablet or phone against the Smart SealTM. Simplifying the collection and tracking of load information and enhancing the security of goods being transported.
Smart Seal is the latest product to integrate with Advanced Solutions' Yard and Dock orchestration platform.
To learn more about about Smart Seal and Advanced Solutions' enterprise products or to request a demo, visit advsolutionpros.com/AdvancedDock.
About Advanced Solutions
Advanced Solutions, founded in 1999, specializes in supply chain orchestration solutions. In 2015, it released the logistic industry's first complete electronic bill of lading (eBOL) solution AdvancedBOL for SAP. In addition, the company provides enterprise products such as AdvancedDock for SAP a next generation Yard and Dock orchestration platform for SAP and CommandView for SAP, an AI-based logistics control tower solution.
SOFTWARE AND TECHNOLOGY
SWVL | March 26, 2022
Swvl Inc. ("Swvl" or the "Company"), a global provider of transformative tech-enabled mass transit solutions, announced a definitive agreement to acquire door2door, a European high-growth mobility platform that partners with municipalities, public transit operators, corporations, and automotive companies, providing software for on-demand mobility, multimodal routing and mobility analytics. The closing of the door2door transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to be completed in Q2 2022.
Founded in 2012 with the mission of making cities smarter, door2door has developed a leading proprietary MaaS software platform that can be easily integrated into any existing transit network. door2door has a strong commercial track record with 70 deployments across 10 European countries and approximately 24% market share in Germany, Europe's largest mass transit market. Swvl and door2door share a commitment to expanding access to affordable transportation and unlocking economic, social, and environmental benefits for riders and their communities.
Mostafa Kandil, Swvl Founder and CEO, said, "Swvl and door2door share an ongoing commitment to disrupting traditional public transportation systems with tech-enabled mobility solutions focused on accessibility, convenience and sustainability. door2door's impressive foothold in Europe, and particularly DACH2, complement Swvl's recent growth efforts, including our acquisitions of controlling interests in Shotl and Viapool, which launched the Swvl platform in Europe and Latin America, respectively. By significantly expanding our European footprint and furthering our MaaS and SaaS capabilities, we continue to deliver on our growth objectives, while effectively scaling the Swvl platform to key additional geographies."
The transaction with door2door will create a leading global mass transit player, with synergies on offerings, geography, partnerships and product domain:
Boosts Swvl's momentum of growth and expansion in Europe and beyond by bringing the Company's total geographic presence to more than 20 countries on 4 continents.
Leverages door2door's impressive growth track record, with 45% CAGR in number of customers from 2018-2021, >90% customer retention and 7.5x revenue growth from 2017-2021.
Provides compelling market opportunities with access to more than 100 additional European cities.
Provides a launch pad when combined with Shotl to tap into the $22.5 billion SaaS/TaaS market in Europe, where door2door brings a deep understanding of market dynamics.
Unlocks the full potential of SaaS for Swvl through door2door's proprietary mobility orchestration platform with fleet operations management, insights and reporting, and a driver, passenger and attendant application combined with strong technology in the form of a white-label engine, API integration and free floating options.
Allows Swvl to integrate door2door's scalable technology stack with Swvl's proprietary technology to predict and identify latent demand, create routes around demand clusters, create dynamic routes and cost efficient plans, price supply through bidding, and enhance dynamic pricing capabilities.
Enables partnerships with municipalities, public transit operators, corporations, non-emergency medical transportation and smart city organizations, and automotive companies.
Offers a complementary suite of mobility solutions including EV/AV fleet management, on-demand and fixed route public transit, corporate and campus shuttles, autonomous logistics delivery and demand management to add to Swvl's existing suite.
Advances Swvl's ESG strategy by accelerating its adoption of EV/AV technology and creating partnership opportunities to digitize non-emergency medical transport.
Maintains an outstanding policy network on both a national and EU level, providing additional opportunities to enter new markets and expand Swvl's B2G business.
"We are excited to embark on this next phase of growth alongside the Swvl team. We have been impressed by Swvl's ability to rapidly scale its business while continuing to provide best-in-class, transformative mobility solutions for customers. Now we are looking forward to leveraging the combined capabilities of our platforms to alleviate many of the burdens and inefficiencies posed by traditional commuting methods."
-Dr. Tom Kirschbaum, door2door Co-CEO
Maxim Nohroudi, door2door Co-CEO, said, With Swvl and door2door joining forces today we are building a global mass transit company. Swvl's outstanding TaaS experience adds value to our European customers, while door2door complements Swvl with MaaS solutions and B2G capabilities. Together, we are catering to diverse mass transit challenges worldwide, providing a truly global mobility platform.
Youssef Salem, Swvl CFO, said, "The acquisition of door2door provides us with a leading position in Central Europe, attractive SaaS revenue base and pipeline, complementary suite of new mobility products, strong hub in Berlin and a launch pad for further European and global expansion across marketplace and SaaS offerings. Following our recent acquisitions of controlling interests in Shotl and Viapool, investments in mass transit platforms in the United Kingdom and Mexico and launches across Latin America and Europe, this transaction further demonstrates our ability to utilize our growth capital and public currency to pursue accretive organic and inorganic strategic initiatives. We look forward to capitalizing on the numerous opportunities provided by this transaction and furthering partnerships to advance our leading market position as a provider of technology-enabled mass transit solutions on a global scale. We are confident that the Swvl platform will have a very positive and sustained impact on European transit."
Swvl is a global provider of transformative tech-enabled mass transit solutions, offering intercity, intracity, B2B and B2G transportation across 115 cities in 18 countries. The Company's platform provides complimentary semi-private alternatives to public transportation for individuals who cannot access or afford private options. Every day, Swvl's parallel mass transit systems are empowering individuals to go where they want, when they want – making mobility safer, more efficient, accessible, and environmentally friendly. Customers can book their rides on an easy-to-use proprietary app with varied payment options and 24 / 7 access to high-quality private buses and vans.Swvl was co-founded by Mostafa Kandil, who launched Carmudi in the Philippines, which became the largest car classifieds platform in the country in just six months. He then served as Rocket Internet's Head of Operations. In 2016, Kandil joined Careem, a ride-sharing company and the first unicorn in the Middle East, where he launched services in multiple new markets.For additional information about Swvl, please visit www.swvl.com.
door2door is a European high-growth mobility platform providing software solutions for on-demand shared mobility, multimodal routing and mobility analytics. The Berlin-based company licenses its B2G/B2B mobility software to municipalities, mass transit operators, transit agencies, corporations, and automotive companies, with 70 deployments across 10 European countries and approximately 24% market share in Germany, Europe's largest mass transit market. Founded by Dr. Tom Kirschbaum and Maxim Nohroudi with the goal of making cities smarter, door2door has been appointed by LinkedIn as "Top-10 Startup in Germany" and "European Company of the Year".
Shipwell | May 18, 2022
Shipwell, an industry leader in cloud-based shipping and logistics, announced the release of a load optimization feature built directly into the company’s transportation management system (TMS). This feature helps customers significantly reduce the time it takes to plan and route shipments, the costs associated with moving them and the carbon emissions produced by the carriers hauling them.Combining orders into shipments is often a manual process done by an individual or team within the logistics department, who utilize third-party software or spreadsheets outside of their TMS.
“Shippers finding ways to optimally consolidate orders into shipments and route those shipments with the fewest number of trucks required is critical, With the ever-increasing capacity constraints since the start of COVID-19, exacerbated by crunches such as produce season, load optimization is one of the biggest areas of need. Even with rates for truckload dry van and reefer dropping from historic highs, packing multiple customer orders into the most ideal mode allows a greater quantity to be dispatched at once, greatly reducing both the costs for the shipper and the number of miles those shipments need to travel before reaching their destination.”
-Shipwell co-founder and CEO Greg Price
How load optimization works to help shippers
Shipwell’s load optimization feature leverages a proprietary algorithm to assess each individual order’s details, including size, weight, locations, pickup and delivery times. In a matter of seconds, the orders are consolidated into the most cost-efficient routes and modes. By utilizing Shipwell’s integrated pricing intelligence tool, the feature forecasts individual load rates and compares them to optimized routes to provide a clear picture of the potential savings.
The feature eliminates customers’ need to manually import and export data from third-party planning tools while providing shippers with the ability to customize load plans. Whenever an order is manually added or removed from a shipment plan, the algorithm automatically recalculates the cost and most efficient route for the shipment. The tool helps planners save time and money.
We used to spend four to five hours per week manually planning our shipments and looking for multi-stop truckload opportunities that would lower our shipping costs, said Debbie Lombardo, shipping manager at Tarrier Foods, a Columbus-based supplier of candy and nuts. “Shipwell’s load optimization feature has changed how we operate, and has helped us uncover routes we wouldn’t have considered, or realized were an option.
Beta customers who partnered with Shipwell in developing the load optimization tool have realized savings ranging from 20% to 40% through consolidating their orders into full truckload or less-than-truckload shipments, and routing the trucks in the most efficient routes possible — all while ensuring delivery windows are met.
Load optimization makes it easy for me to find consolidation opportunities that save us money and minimize our shipping costs,” said Angela Steele, head of inventory and planning at Crowd Cow, a Seattle-based supplier of sustainably sourced meat and seafood. I had never scheduled freight before, and Shipwell made the process so easy to learn and stay on top of all the moving pieces. After only a month of running freight, I now feel confident in my ability to work with carriers and know that I am getting the best rates.
Efficient routing using the tool also ensures the shippers may reduce the carbon footprint of their shipments. One beta customer was able to reduce more than 10,000 pounds of carbon emissions by slashing the distance driven by more than 2,700 miles for just one shipment batch.
To learn more about the ways that Shipwell enables shippers to efficiently plan and route shipments, request a demo today.
In a world where shipping expectations and complexity are greater than ever, Shipwell is on a mission to empower supply chain efficiency at scale across every company size, stage, and industry. Supply chain solutions today are highly disconnected, rigid, and difficult to use, but Shipwell is disrupting the status quo. Our solution combines everything our customers need in a comprehensive platform that adapts as the market and business demands change, so they can effectively manage the entire process in one place and never have to rip and replace. Shipwell is proud to be recognized by industry experts as a leader in shipping and logistics, including Gartner Magic Quadrant for TMS, Forbes 2020 Next Billion-Dollar Startup, and was named fourth fastest-growing company in North America on the 2021 Deloitte Technology Fast 500. To learn more, visit www.shipwell.com.
SOFTWARE AND TECHNOLOGY
T-Mobile | May 10, 2022
T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) announced that Battle Motors has selected the Un-carrier as the preferred provider of IoT connectivity and management for thousands of new Battle Motors batterLike consumer automotive, the commercial truck industry is moving swiftly to embrace EV technology — and Battle Motors is no exception. Their RevolutionOS™, powered by T-Mobile's nationwide network, delivers actionable data and information to drivers and fleet managers that they can use to enhance efficiency, safety, and security. As part of this long-term agreement, T-Mobile for Business will deliver 4G LTE connectivity to Battle Motors trucks for near real-time sharing of battery range and usage information, historic and near real-time location and trip data, timely preventative maintenance warnings, over-the-air software, and firmware updates — as well as the truck's full bill of materials, such as VIN-specific information, parts, and manuals.
Every new Battle Motors class seven and class eight "heavy-duty" EV truck — like the ones that haul garbage, dirt, and freight — will come with a factory installed, ruggedized digital instrument cluster that runs RevolutionOS™. And thanks to the power and reliability of T-Mobile's nationwide network, Battle Motors’ RevolutionOS™ will let customers view and update critical information directly from the truck, or remotely from a desktop computer or mobile device, just by scanning a QR code!
Additionally, T-Mobile Control Center will give Battle Motors the ability to view and manage the connectivity of their trucks. With the automation and provisioning capabilities of T-Mobile’s IoT platform, Battle Motors can easily accelerate deployment of their growing line of trucks. Battle Motors will have near real-time visibility to all their commercial trucks with the ability to monitor network conditions and device behavior with T-Mobile Control Center.
In the near future, Battle Motors expects to leverage the Un-carrier's 5G network to meet industrial-sized challenges for years to come as their trucks’ capabilities advance and the demands on connectivity increase. T-Mobile is poised to push IoT to its full potential and catapult adoption — paving the way for new electric vehicle applications that rely on low-latency, high-speed data, and real-time location and proximity-based services.
“Our primary focus has been on driving technology and innovation that gives our customers value and peace-of-mind when it comes to maintenance, efficiency, safety and compliance, Together with T-Mobile, we’re able to merge analytics and operations to put rich, real-time decision-making data to work for our customers.”
-Battle Motors CSO, Paul Marsolan.
While we continue to grow our business market share, it energizes us to work with forward thinking companies that demonstrate leadership in areas like sustainable commercial transportation, said Callie Field, President, T-Mobile Business Group. Reliable connectivity, management and support is central to Battle Motors’ mission, and we’re honored that they entrusted their trucks and their customers to T-Mobile for Business.
For more information about IoT from T-Mobile for Business, visit www.t-mobile.com/business/solutions/iot.
To find out more about Battle Motors, go to www.battlemotors.com.
T-Mobile U.S. Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) is America’s supercharged Un-carrier, delivering an advanced 4G LTE and transformative nationwide 5G network that will offer reliable connectivity for all. T-Mobile’s customers benefit from its unmatched combination of value and quality, unwavering obsession with offering them the best possible service experience and undisputable drive for disruption that creates competition and innovation in wireless and beyond. Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile provides services through its subsidiaries and operates its flagship brands, T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile and Sprint. For more information please visit: https://www.t-mobile.com.
About Battle Motors
Battle Motors, a leader in the development of electric vehicle (EV) technology, acquired commercial vehicle Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), Crane Carrier Company, LLC (CCC) in 2021. Battle Motors is the leader in the vocational truck industry, providing work-ready diesel, clean natural gas (CNG), and now EV chassis designed and manufactured in North America for the refuse and recycling markets. Battle Motor’s durable, dependable trucks are built to excel in a multitude of applications that now include middle-mile and last-mile delivery. CCC has been manufacturing commercial vehicles for 75 years and is based in New Philadelphia, Ohio. For more information please visit: https://www.battlemotors.com and follow us @BattleMotorsy electric trucks rolling off the Ohio-based production line. And these trucks are getting smarter, thanks to Battle Motors' all new factory installed RevolutionOS™ EV software.


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That is not bad given that the facility only broke ground in October 2006 and did not roll out any completed vehicles until over three years later in February of 2010.
To reach 1 million cars in 3.5 years requires steady production of nearly 300,000 vehicles per year.
The plant was the result of an initial investment of $1 billion by Kia, who began fabrication of the Sorrento at KMMG on November 16, 2009, resulting in the creation of more than 11,000 jobs, with on-site and local suppliers, in the region.
After a $100 million expansion was completed early last year, yearly production capacity was raised to 360,000 vehicles. The Optima mid-size sedan, added in 2011, has become the brand's best-selling vehicle in the US for 19 consecutive months.
"Building one million vehicles in less than four years is a tremendous achievement and one that each one of our more than 3,000 team members can take great pride in," said Byung Mo Ahn, Group President and CEO for Kia Motors America and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia.
"People are the heart and soul of this company, and our team members' commitment to world class quality is one of the major driving forces behind Kia's unprecedented sales and market share growth in the U.S. over the last few years."
Established in 1944, Kia originally built bicycles and then motorcycles, not moving into automotive production until 1973.
Owned in part by Hyundai, the combined firms comprise the fourth largest auto group in the world, but their US market share has increased annually for 15 years straight.
The one millionth Sorento will be allocated to one of Kia Motors America's more than 765 dealerships nationwide.
We wonder if someone gets a prize for buying the one millionth Kia built in the US?
A twofer would be nice, don’t you think?


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The rumor: Apple is preparing to launch new hardware at what is traditionally a software-only event, according to Jon Prosser (78.1% accurate).
- New hardware is said to be announced on June 7 when WWDC 2021 kicks off, but we currently don’t have the details on what exactly is coming
- Mark Gurman (88.7% accurate) previously suggested that new MacBook Pro models could launch as soon as this Summer
Our take: While I’m always skeptical of WWDC hardware rumors, it seems like Apple has a lot to announce this year. I hope it’s MacBooks, but perhaps it is something else even more special…


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Latest Toyota Issues Airbag Stories
Enid Burns for redOrbit.com — Your Universe Online Toyota issued a new recall due to airbags that could deploy abnormally due to malfunctioning inflators. Japanese safety gear producer Takata Corp. manufactured the defective airbags for Toyota, as well as Honda and Nissan, Bloomberg News reports. Both of the latter auto manufacturers have already issued recalls to replace the defective airbags. Takata Corp produced airbags for Toyota from 2000 to 2002. The recall affects Toyota...
- Boughs or branches.
- Warbling of birds in trees.


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It’s been years in coming, said Foley Equipment Chief Executive Officer Ann Konecny.
But Friday morning, Foley Equipment officially moved into its new service area and warehouse at 2225 N. Ohio with a ribbon-cutting. There were city, county and state officials, tours, and cookies shaped and decorated like Caterpillar products, track loaders and wheel loaders.
Foley Equipment, which sells Caterpillar earth-moving equipment and big trucks, all diesel, bought the North Ohio Street property about 15 years ago, Konecny said, but, “other things popped up.”
The company started construction a year ago. The 33,000-square-foot site more than doubles the square footage of Foley Equipment’s previous location, 529 N. Broadway, where it had been since about 1968.
The new climate-controlled facility offers an expanded parts warehouse and space to service 14 vehicles at one time. The facility incorporates state-of-the-art technology and is adding more.
Through its Foley Power Solutions, solar panels have been ordered to cover 50 percent of the cost of utilities, said Allen Switzer, business development manager of Foley Power Solutions, Kansas City. The Kansas City facility has 1,500 solar panels.
Business has been good, Konecny said.
“We’d like to see more infrastructure work, but overall we’re doing quite well,” she said.
The company will rent anything it sells, and the rental business is “robust,” Konecny said.
Adding Power Solutions, which sells and installs solar panels, makes economic sense to her.
“The technology has come a long way,” she said.
Konecny is the third generation to own Foley, which started in 1940 in Wichita, said David Dickey, chief marketing officer in Kansas City, Mo. Foley started selling Caterpillar products in Salina in 1956.
Foley offers equipment and power-generation sales, rental, service and technology solutions across Kansas and western Missouri. Foley Industries subsidiaries including Foley Equipment, Foley Power Solutions, Foley Rental and SITECH Central have represented Caterpillar since 1940.
The company has more than 1,000 employees in 15 cities, with more than 30 in Salina.
Foley Equipment opened a new building in Colby in April. It also has a location in Concordia.


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Is it too early to call NC Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker the new Corporate Welfare Queen?
The administration of Gov. Pat McCrory is pushing a proposed tax on fracking as a substantial piece of its economic recovery strategy, with key Republicans saying it would raise millions for financial incentives to recruit companies or help them expand in North Carolina.
“I’m very selfish – the governor gets tired of hearing it,” (Commerce Secretary Sharon) Decker told the group. “He says, ‘Lordy, mercy, you’re the greatest advocate for fracking I’ve ever seen.’ And I said it has nothing to do with fracking. I want those dollars in economic development.”
There you have it. Our state’s Commerce Secretary not concerned with unleashing energy exploration in the state that could create thousands of jobs and stimulate commerce – but rather is consumed with wide-eyed excitement about gaining control over more of other people’s money in order to dole it out to corporations that she deems worthy.
Such statements reveal the central planner that Decker apparently aspires to be. In a free, competitive economy, consumers (that’s us) control the flow of capital goods and investment by virtue of our decisions of which goods and services we choose to buy or not to buy.
But apparently Decker doesn’t share that vision. Instead of unshackling the economy from taxes, regulation and government privilege, Decker lusts after centralizing more power over the state’s means of production into the hands of the political elites (thus overriding the choices of the rest of us).
If the state does indeed end up raising tax revenue from fracking companies, we would be far better off leveraging that additional revenue into further tax rate reductions in order to attract more investment from entrepreneurs responding to market forces. That’s a superior recipe for economic growth compared to Decker’s desire to manage the economy by granting political privilege to a select few, well-heeled companies at the expense of everybody else.


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Effingham, IL – Mid America Motorworks hosted its sixteenth annual Corvette Funfest event the weekend of September 25-27, 2009. Corvette Funfest, held on Mid America Motorworks’ 150 acre corporate campus, is one of the largest gatherings of Corvette enthusiasts in the country. During the three-day celebration, thousands of Corvettes along with tens of thousands of enthusiasts enjoyed the activities and seminars.
The theme for this year’s event was the 35th anniversary of Mid America Motorworks. Mike Yager’s signature straw hat surrounded by historical catalog covers was the basis for the t-shirt, poster and lapel pin designs.
Corvette Funfest 2009 was full of exciting new activities and events. The Fun Run was brought back by popular demand and held on Thursday afternoon. Exhaust Wars and Burn Out Wars thrilled the crowd on each of the three days with awards to the top winners. The Corvette Cantina found a new home in a permanent facility and showcased many lifestyle items for sale. Mid America Motorworks hosted its first ever Corvette Auction on Friday afternoon with over 50 Corvettes crossing the block before a massive crowd of bidders and spectators. Scores of Corvettes were offered for sale by their owners in the “For Sale Corral” with many changing ownership and leaving the new owners searching for extra garage space. Close to one hundred different seminar topics presented by Corvette engineers and experts in their field were offered during the weekend.
Corvettes from every model year of the marque could be seen throughout the weekend. Many were observed parking in “Club Field,” an area reserved specifically for Corvette clubs and members. This year, 65 Corvette clubs from around the country attended Funfest. New for 2009 was a Silent Auction hosted by Corvette Clubs. The proceeds from this activity were equally divided among the participating clubs’ charities of choice. Special display parking featured Corvettes from 1974, also sharing the same 35th Anniversary as Mid America Motorworks, and the “9’s in 09” displaying each Corvette decade ending with 9.
Enthusiasts were able to buy, sell and modify Corvettes at Funfest. Dozens of major industry suppliers brought products and answered questions concerning proper installation and use. At the “Install Alley,” hundreds of customers received new exhaust systems expertly installed by Corsa, Borla, B&B and Mid America Motorworks. Many other Corvette owners enhanced their Corvettes with accessory items from American Car Craft, Mid America Motorworks’ supplier of the year. Callaway Corvettes, Goodyear and Pratt & Miller Engineers also set up special displays to educate and entertain Corvette fans. General Motors impressed enthusiasts with an extensive display of the new 2010 Corvettes and also provided rides in the new 2010 Grand Sport.
Throughout the weekend, many people swarmed the Mid America Motorworks’ Funfest Sales tent to take advantage of the 10% discount offered on Mid America Motorworks products. Mid America Motorworks, where “Pursue your passion here” is the company slogan, helped thousands of Corvette enthusiasts to do just that at Corvette Funfest 2009.
Saturday evening ended with a three-hour entertainment package. The Jan and Dean Show featuring Dean Torrence with the OC Band started the activities followed by a 20-minute fireworks display. The finale of the evening consisted of a 90-minute performance by Survivor.
Corvette Funfest 2010 will be held on September 17-19.


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LoopMe, a technology company that uses AI to improve brand advertising performance, has announced the appointment of Alberico De Nardis as Head of South East Asia, as well as the role change of Bernard Fung to Head of North APAC. Both will be instrumental in driving continued momentum and identifying new revenue opportunities across the APAC.
What do the appointees bring to LoopMe in the roles?
De Nardis has proven experience in tech companies across APAC and EMEA, most recently holding the role of Global Agency Development Lead, APAC for TikTok. He also held positions at IAB, Omnicom Media Group APAC, and Handprint. At LoopMe, De Nardis will spearhead the firm’s expansion in South East Asia across Singapore, Australia, and India.
Fung, who has been with LoopMe for over three years, initially joined as Sales Director, and has also served as Interim General Manager for APAC. In his new role as Head of North APAC, Fung will drive LoopMe’s expansion in the Greater China Region, Japan, and Korea.
LoopMe also announced the role change of Simon Stone to General Manager International. He previously undertook duties as General Manager EMEA and joined LoopMe in 2018 as Commercial Director. He is responsible for all revenue across EMEA and APAC and will oversee LoopMe’s expansion across these regions by growing its presence and teams.
Lisa Coffey also joins LoopMe as the company’s global Chief Revenue Officer from Amazon, where she most recently held the position of Head of Strategy and Business Development.
Speaking on his appointment, Alberico De Nardis, Head of South East Asia at LoopMe, said: “LoopMe’s industry-leading artificial intelligence-powered solution means we’re ideally positioned to continue our expansion in South East Asia, and I’m excited to be part of the APAC team driving this, especially at a time of rapid global growth for the company.”
What do the appointments mean for LoopMe?
The announcement comes on the heels of significant revenue growth for LoopMe, with the company closing out 2022 with 27% growth year-on-year in the APAC region, and 55% global growth year-on-year – surpassing $150 million in revenue in the last 12 months.
This demonstrates continuing demand for LoopMe’s suite of outcomes-based technology products, which do not rely on personal identifying data and are available across mobile, CTV, digital audio, digital out-of-home and other emerging digital advertising channels.
Commenting on the appointments, Stephen Upstone, CEO and Founder at LoopMe, said, “The APAC market is becoming increasingly important to our business, and these two new appointments will strengthen our senior team and drive growth in the region.”
“Bernard has already shown how vital his passion and expertise is in meeting these goals, and we are pleased to have him leading our efforts in the Chinese and Japanese markets. Similarly, bringing someone with as much experience as Alberico on board was a no-brainer, and we are delighted to have him as part of the team for South East Asia.”


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There's a new food thing to be angry about, and this one attacks old people favourite the Walnut Whip. Due to a perfect storm combination of higher walnut prices, exchange rate fluctuations, poor harvests and increasing levels of nut allergies in the developed world, there's now a version of it WITHOUT THE WALNUT.
Treat maker Nestle is behind the latest confectionary abomination, which will be sold alongside the nut-topped version under the name of simply Whip, seeing as the defining feature has gone. Nestle says it's all about giving the masses more choices of thing to mindlessly consume triple packs of, but it's hard to see the dropping of a key element, the cornerstone of the sweets of old, as anything other than a cost-cutting method, akin to the pyroclastic cloud that destroyed the Toblerone peaks in 2016.
There's also going to be a mint Whip and a caramel Whip to try too, if you're not planning on adding the shocking nutless variety of Walnut Whip to your personal list of reasons to boycott everything by Nestle. [Nestle]
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Probably because of a song.
But we all know that the classics won't stay gone forever.
It's the largest sausage roll available in a major supermarket, or at least that's what it told the Mrs.
Shrinkflation hitting the bathroom as well as the biscuit tin.